BBQ Safety
There is nothing quite like spending your leisure time outdoors in the summertime enjoying a barbeque with family and friends. However the risks of fire and injury should never be underestimated. With some common sense preparation and precautions you can ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience.
General Safety Precautions:
- Make sure your barbecue is in good working order and is sited on a flat area well away from sheds, trees and shrubs.
- Keep pets and children and garden games well away from the cooking area.
- Never leave the barbecue unattended.
- Always keep a bucket of sand or water nearby in case of emergencies.
- Make sure that the barbecue has cooled down before attempting to move it.
- Turn the tap off before changing the cylinder and always change cylinders outdoors in a well ventilated area.
- If you suspect a leak in the cylinder or pipe work turn the barbeque off immediately and brush soapy water around the joints and watch for bubbles – tighten to fix but do not over-tighten.
- After cooking is finished, turn off the cylinder before turning off at the barbeque controls to ensure any residual gas in the pipe work is emptied out.
Food Safety:
Food poisoning is usually caused by undercooked food, E. Coli, salmonella and campylobacter can cause very serious illness but by following some simple guidelines you can minimise the risks.
- Ensure that frozen food is thoroughly defrosted.
- Keep raw meat away from cooked meat and ready to eat foods and wash your hands after handling raw meat.
- Use separate utensils for handling raw and cooked meat.
- Turn the food regularly and move it around the barbeque to ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Make sure you cook all your food thoroughly until the meat is steaming hot and the juices run clear.
- If you are barbequing for a lot of people you could cook the meat indoors and finish it off on the barbeque.
Just because food is charred on the outside it does not mean that it is cooked properly on the inside